I. Beginning of the Christian life on the territory of our country
(Dacian-Roman Christianity)

Saint Andrew, the Apostle
of the Gets-Dacians (Scythes).As Romanians, we draw our Christian
faith from St Andrews’s activity, who
preached on the territory between the Danube and the Black Sea,
later on called Dobrudgea, known from the antique sources as “Scythia
Minor”.
Christianity in Dacia. In 106, emperor Traian (Trojan) conquered
a part of the territory of the former state of the Gets-Dacians,
headed by king Decebal,
which was turned into a Roman province (Transylvania, Banat, Oltenia and a
part of later on Muntenia). As a result of these political territorial changes,
favourable conditions for promoting the new teaching in the north of the Danube,
too, were created. One could speak of the so-called “informal missionaries” recruited
from among colonists, soldiers in the Roman army, merchants and slaves who
had adopted the Christian faith before coming to Dacia. In the 3rd century,
the number of these “lay” missionaries increased due to certain
Christian prisoners whom the Goths - established on the territory north of
the Danube - used to bring here from Asia Minor, where Christianity was known
as far back as the “apostolic century”. Some of them were ordained
as bishops, chorepiscopi, priests and deacons.
Great Christians. Several names of Christians who died a martyr’s death
have been known ever since the Gothic persecutions, such as Sava, around Buzau
town, in 372, a certain saint Nichita and a few others.
In the province of Scythia Minor and on the territory close to it the number
of the Christian martyrs during the persecutions of Diocletian, about 300,
was very large. One can mention the following: Zoticos, Atalos, Kamssis and
Filipos, all of them from Noviodunum (today’s Isaccea), whose relics
have been discovered in a crypt in Niculitel, county of Tulcea (laid at present
in the church of the Monastery of Cocos), Chiril, Chindeas and Tasius, at Axiopolis
(today’s Cernavoda), priest Epictet and his converted disciple Astion,
at Halmyris (today’s Dunavat), Macrobiu, Gordian, Heli, Lucian, Zotic
and Valerian, Argeu brothers, Narcis and Marcelin, all of them at Tomis (today’s
Constanta). There are other names mentioned, such as: the martyr soldiers Pasicrat,
Valentin, Marcian and Nicandru and later on soldier Emilian from the town of
Durostorum (today’s Silistra) at the boundary between the provinces of
Scythia Minor and Moesia Inferior. Martyrs Quintilian, Maxim the reader and
Dadas suffered in the village of Ozobia, near Durostorum.
The Church hierarchy. All the above mentioned information confirms the existence
of a Church organisation on the Carpathian-Danubian territories. The historical
sources proved that ever since the beginning of the 4th century, as soon as
the Edict from Mediolanum was promulgated in the year 313, about 15 episcopal
sees were documentary mentioned in various towns on the right bank of the Danube,
in the provinces of Pannonia Inferior, Dacia Ripensis and Moesia Inferior (today
in Serbia and, especially, in Bulgaria) - at Sirmium, Viminacium, Oescus, Bononia,
Marcianopolis, Novae, Appiaria, Abbvitus, Durostorum, whose titular bishops
participated in the proceedings of the Ecumenical or local synods. We suppose
that these episcopal sees were even earlier than that, at about 300 A.D. During
the persecution instituted by Diocletian, a large number of priests died a
martyr’s death.
In the 6th century, Scythia Minor was a “metropolitan province” and
its titular had become metropolitan, with 14 dioceses in the main towns of
the province. All these episcopal sees - Tomis too - were directly related
to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the new capital city of the empire,
a principle confirmed by a decision of the 4th Ecumenical Council from Chalcedon,
in 451. Therefore, they were related to Rome, through language, and to Constantinople,
through faith.
There were also a few remarkable theologians from the same province, out of
whom one could mention only two: Saint John Cassian (about 360-435), founder
of two monasteries in Marsilia (today’s Marseille, France), the author
of several theological works (Conversations with the Parents, On the monastic
settlements with community life, On the Incarnation of the Lord a.s.o.) and
Dionisius Exiguus (or the “humble one”, about 460-545), translator
of some theological and canonical books in Greek, the one who laid the foundations
of the present chronological system, counting the years since the birth of
Christ (Christian Era).
The massive spreading of Christianity on the territory between the Danube and
the Black Sea is also confirmed by about 35 basilicas dating back from the
4th-6th centuries, discovered in the main urban centres of the province: Tomis,
Callatis (today’s Mangalia), Tropaeum Traiani (Adamclisi), Histria (Istria),
Axiopolis (Cernavoda), Troesmis (Iglitia), Dinogetica (Garvan) etc., as well
as by more than one hundred inscriptions on objects with religious character,
dating back from the 4th-6th centuries.

II.
The Romanians’ religious
life, after year 600 until the 11th Century

The data concerning this period are rather scarce. However, the
continuity of the Christian life is confirmed by the archaeological
discoveries: six churches in a chalk mountain in Basarabi, county
of Constanta, certainly a monastic settlement (dating from the
9th -11th centuries, according to certain historians from the 4th
-12th centuries), foundations of two churches in the north of Dobrudgea,
one in Niculitel (10th -12th centuries), another one in Garvan
(former Dinogetia), from the same period. Several crosses and even
cross moulds were discovered in various parts of the country, beyond
the Prut river, too. The foundations of a church were discovered
in Dabaca, about 30 km north-west of Cluj-Napoca (10th -11th centuries),
and some others under the Catholic churches in Alba Iulia and Prejmer,
country of Brasov, etc.
These discoveries are not only indubitable evidence on the continuity
of the Orthodox Romanians in these territories, but also certain
proofs of the necessity of some Romanian bishops.
After the invasion of Transylvania by the Hungarian Catholic kingdom
(11th - 13th centuries) the so-called “counties” (Bihor,
Alba, Hunedoara) were set up instead of the old Romanian political
units. The same happened to the Romanians’ religious structures;
Hungarian Catholic dioceses were set up instead of the Orthodox
dioceses. So, once the “county” in Bihor was set up,
with the residence in Biharea, a Latin diocese was created instead
of the Orthodox one, that would soon be moved to Oradea, where
it remained until more recently, which is also confirmed by some
of the Hungarian historians. The seat of Alba county was established
in Alba Iulia, where a Roman Catholic diocese was created and which
still exists today, instead of the Orthodox one. The Catholic diocese
of Morisena (Cenad) was created by king Steven the Saint of Hungary,
in 1038, after conquering the city from prince Ohtum or Ahtum (it
was also there that Latin monks were brought, in the Orthodox monastery
of Saint John the Baptist). So, the Catholic dioceses in Transylvania
have been set up on the very places of the old Orthodox episcopal
or chorepiscopal sees from Biharea (Oradea), Alba Iulia and Morisena
- Cenad. The phenomenon concerning the replacement of some Orthodox
churches and monasteries with Catholic ones can be seen also in
other parts of Transylvania.
The religious organisation of the Romanians survived in spite of
the policy of Catholicization waged by the kings of Hungary, many
times instigated by the pope himself. For instance, a letter of
pope Inocentius III to the Archbishop of Calocea, in 1205, mentioned
an Orthodox diocese “on the estate of knyaz Balea’s
sons”. This diocese could have been either round Bihor or
round Hunedoara, where knyazes with this name ruled, some of them
founders of churches.

III. The Church of Wallachia and Moldova in the Middle Ages (middle
of the 14th century - 1821)

In the first half of the 14th century, the state unification of
the political units, present in the south and east of the Carpathians,
under one ruler, took place. At the same time with the unification
of the Romanian knyazates and voivodships in the south of the Carpathians
into one independent state, Wallachia, and after the formation
of the second state, Moldova, in the east of the Carpathians, the
religious unification of the two Romanian independent states took
place. Thus, instead of several hierarchs depending on each voievodship,
only one was elected, with the name of metropolitan.
In 1359, the Ecumenical Patriarchate recognised officially the
Metropolitanate of Ungro-Wallachia or Wallachia, with the see in
Arges and its hierarch Iachint, who had been metropolitan of Vicina,
in the north of Dobrugea until then. The metropolitanate was moved,
in 1517, to Targoviste, and in 1688 to Bucharest, where it remained
until today. From 1370 - 1401, the new Metropolitanate of Severin
functioned in the territory on the right side of the Olt River.
At the beginning of 16th century, the Dioceses of Ramnic and of
Buzau were set up, which are still functioning today. From 1793-1949,
a Diocese of Arges functioned, reactivated in 1990.
The Metropolitanate of Moldova was first mentioned in 1386. Its
confirmation was hardly accepted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
which intended to impose a Greek hierarch, whereas the country
wanted a Romanian one. It was only on 26 July 1401 that the Moldavian
Iosif - ordained at Halici and related to the ruler of the country
- was recognised as metropolitan. The seat of the Metropolitanate
was in Suceava, while in the second half of the 17th century it
was moved to Iasi.
It is necessary to underline that in the 14th - 18th centuries
the Church in Wallachia and Moldova should be considered as an
official State Church - a legacy of Byzantium - holding an important
role in the political life of the country and guiding the entire
cultural activity and social humanitarian assistance.
Our first printing houses (in Dealu, Targoviste, Colentina-Bucharest,
Govora, Campulung, Iasi, then in Bucharest, Buzau, Snagov, Ramnic,
Monastery of Neamt) functioned in the precincts of a few monasteries
or diocesan seats and the first printers were also clergy: hieromonk
Mitrofan, future bishop of Husi and Buzau, Antim Ivireanul, the
future metropolitan and so on.

IV. The Romanian Church in Transylvania in the 14th - 18th centuries

There is certain evidence
that, in Transylvania – organised
as “voievodship” until 1541 – there were some
Orthodox archbishops and metropolitans ever since the first quarter
of the 14th century. Thus, rather recently, an inscription was
discovered in the church of the Monastery of Ramet (county of Alba)
mentioning the name of bishop Ghelasie and the year 1377.
As soon as Alba Iulia became the capital town of the autonomous
principality of Transylvania - set up in 1541, when Hungary was
turned into an Ottoman province - the seat of the Metropolitanate
of Transylvania was established in this town (perhaps in 1572),
where it remained until the beginning of the 18th century. Here
one can mention the pastoral service of the following metropolitans:
Ghenadie I (1579-1585), a supporter of deacon and printer Coresi
form Brasov, Ioan from Prislop (about 1585 - 1605), in whose time
Michael the Brave built a new cathedral and a metropolitan residence
in Alba Iulia (1597), Teoctist (about 1605, who died in 1622),
Ghenadie II (1627 - 1640), Ilie Iorest (1640-1643; +1678), defender
of Orthodoxy, Simion Stefan (1643-1656), in whose time the New
Testament from Alba Iulia was printed, in 1648, in its first Romanian
edition, Sava Brancovici (1656-1680, +1683), fighter against all
attempts to convert the Romanians or other people to Calvinism.
Due to their steady fight to defend Orthodoxy, and according to
a synodal decision, metropolitans Ilie Iorest and Sava Brancovici
were canonised in 1955.
As soon as Transylvania came under the Habsburgs’ rule (1688-1918),
a little part of the Romanian clergy and faithful were obliged,
through pressure and deceit, to accept the “union” with
the Church of Rome (1698-1701), at the time of metropolitan Atanasie
Anghel. Consequently, a “split” in the Romanian Church
appeared, although only formal, as besides the admittance of the
papal primate, all the doctrine, rite and organisation of the United
Church remained unchanged. Several monks, priests and faithful
defended Orthodoxy, out of whom one can mention: hieromonk Visarion
Sarai (1744), who died in Kufstein prison, in Austria, hieromonk
Sofronie from Cioara, leader of a peasants’ upheaval between
1759-1761, peasant Oprea Miclaus from Salistea Sibiului, who travelled
three times to Vienna with petitions of the Orthodox Romanians
and who died in Kufstein, priests Moise Macinic from Sibiel and
Ioan from Gales, who died in the same prison, hieromonk Nicodim,
archpriest Nicolae Pop from Balomir and priest Ioan from Aciliu,
who travelled to Petersburg to get the assistance of tsarina Elisabeta
Petrovna for the Romanians persecuted for their faith, archpriest
Ioan Piuaru from Sadu, priest Stan from Glamboaca, faithful Ioan
Oancea from Fagaras, faithful Tanase Todoran from Bichigiu, Nasaud,
broken on wheel – who was canonized in 2008 – and hundreds
of other priests and faithful imprisoned or displaced from their
villages. Taking into account their firm fight for defending Orthodoxy,
the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church decided that hieromonks
Visarion and Sofronie, as well as faithful Oprea Miclaus be honoured
by our Church as confessors of the right faith. In 1992 priests
Moise Macinic from Sibiel and Ioan from Gales were listed among
saints. All five are celebrated on October 21.
Schools for the children in the adjacent villages used to function,
just like beyond the Carpathians, in the precincts of certain monasteries
and churches in Transylvania and Banat. A Romanian school of old
tradition was the one in the precincts of the church of Saint Nicholas
in Scheii Brasovului; most of its pupils became priests at the
respective church. Due to their low income, the monasteries could
never develop a cultural charitable activity equal to that of the
monasteries beyond the mountains. In fact, from 1761-1762, most
of the monasteries and sketes present in Transylvania at the time
(more than 150) were destroyed by cannons or set on fire, by order
of general Nicolai Adolf Bukow, the envoy of Maria Tereza, empress
of Austria. Practically, any trace of monastic life disappeared
in Transylvania after that period.

V.
The Romanian Orthodox Church from 1821-1919 (the “modern” period)

The Revolution with
national and social character from 1821, which led to the creation
of the Romanian modern state, opened a new
epoch for the Romanian Orthodox Church. In January 1859, a first
stage of the Romanian political unification took place, through
the unification of Moldova and Wallachia, under a single ruler,
Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1859-1866). On January 11, 1865, metropolitan
Nifon of Ungro-Wallachia received the title of “metropolitan
primate”.
At the time of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, a series of measures were taken
which led to deep changes in the religious life, required by the
changes occurred in the state life (for example, the secularisation
of the monasteries’ properties in 1863).
After the proclamation of the state independence of Romania (May
9, 1877), new negotiations with the Patriarchate followed, in view
of recognising the autocephaly that was only a formal act, as the
Romanian Church had enjoyed a special situation in comparison with
other Orthodox Churches, that of a relative autocephaly towards
the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It was only just on April 25, 1885,
that the ecumenical patriarch Ioachim IV gave the usual “tomos” to
acknowledge the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Romania.
The Romanian Church in Bukovina (Diocese of Cernauti) was raised
to the rank of metropolitanate in 1873, while the Habsburg authorities
hindered its relations with all the other Romanian dioceses. The
most remarkable metropolitan was Silvestru Moraru Andrevici (1880-1895).
The Church in Moldova beyond the Prut River (Bessarabia, passed
under the Russian rule in 1812) constituted itself into an Archdiocese,
seated in Kishinev, its first ruler being the Romanian Gavriil
Banulescu Bodoni (1812 - 1821) (he was metropolitan of Poltava
for a time), in whose time a Theological Seminary was set up in
Kishinev and a new Romanian edition of the Bible was printed in
Petersburg.
The Orthodox Church in Transylvania was ruled, in this period,
by the great hierarch Andrei Saguna, an Aromanian (vicar in 1846,
bishop in 1848, who was metropolitan between 1864 - 1873). He succeeded
in re-establishing the old Metropolitanate of Transylvania, in
1864, seated in Sibiu this time, with two related dioceses: in
Arad and in Caransebes (the last one set up in 1865). Saguna organised
differently the Metropolitanate, through the well-known Organic
Statute in 1868, and then headed the Church in Transylvania until
after 1918, his principles constituting the basis of the religious
rules in the entire Orthodox Church in the reunited Romania.
Theological education developed through the Seminaries in Socola-Iasi
(1803), Bucharest, Buzau, Arges (1836), Ramnic (1837), Husi (1852),
Roman (1858), Ismail-Galati (1864), through the Faculties of Theology
in Iasi, for a short period (1860-1864); then through those in
Cernauti (1875, instead of the old Theological Institute set up
in 1827) and in Bucharest (1881). In Transylvania, Theological
Seminaries and Institutes were set up in Blaj (1754), Sibiu (1811),
Arad (1822) and Caransebes (1865).

VI.
The Romanian Orthodox Church after 1918 (the “contemporary” period)

Period 1914 - 1918. The Union of Transylvania, Bessarabia and
Bukovina with old Romania - by which the Romanian unitary state
was created - brought about a series of changes in the life of
the Church. The hierarchs from the territories included became
members of the Holy Synod from Bucharest, and, on December 18 /
31, 1919, the Transylvanian Miron Cristea, who had been bishop
of Caransebes until then and one of the great supporters of the
Union, was elected metropolitan primate. Soon after that, the proceedings
for the religious unification began, which was concluded on May
6, 1925, when the Law and Statute for the organisation or the Romanian
Orthodox Church were promulgated.
On February 4, 1925, the Holy Synod decided to elevate the Romanian
Orthodox Church to the rank of Patriarchate and to raise the metropolitan
primate to that of patriarch. The law for setting up the Patriarchate
was promulgated on February 25, 1925, and on November 1, 1925,
the enthronement of the first patriarch Miron Cristea (1925 - 1939)
took place. His successor was patriarch Nicodim Munteanu (1939-1948),
author of many original theological works and translator from the
Russian theological literature. During the pastoral rule of these
two patriarchs, a few new dioceses were set up (in Oradea, Cluj,
Constanta, Maramures, Timisoara and a missionary Diocese for the
Romanian Orthodox faithful in America).
On the eve of the World War II, the Romanian Patriarchate had the
following administrative-territorial organisation: I. Metropolitanate
of Ungro-Wallachia with the following dioceses: Bucharest, Ramnic
- the New Severin, Buzau, Arges, Tomis (Constanta); II. Metropolitanate
of Moldova and Suceava, with the dioceses of Iasi, Roman, Husi
and Lower Danube (Galati); III. Metropolitanate of Transylvania,
with the dioceses of Sibiu, Arad, Caransebes, Oradea, Cluj; IV.
Metropolitanate of Bukovina with dioceses of Cernauti, Hotin (Balti),
and from 1938 also from Maramures (Sighet); V. Metropolitanate
of Bessarabia with the dioceses of Kishinev and Cetatea Alba (Ismail).
From 1921, there has been a Diocese of the Army (seated in Alba
Iulia) and from 1934, the Missionary Diocese for the Romanians
from America (seated in Detroit).
The theological education developed quite extensively: Faculties
of Theology in Bucharest (from 1881), Cernauti (1875) and Kishinev
(1927), Theological Academies in Sibiu, Arad, Caransebes, Cluj
and Oradea and other 8 Theological seminaries.
A series of new church periodicals appeared besides the old ones:
Biserica Ortodoxa Romana (Romanian Orthodox Church) and Studii
Teologice (Theological studies) in Bucharest; Candela (Votive Light)
in Cernauti; Revista Teologica (Theological Magazine) in Sibiu;
Luminatorul (Luminary) and Misionarul (Missionary) in Kishinev,
all of them as diocesan bulletins.
The Romanian Orthodox Church from 1944-1989.
After 1944, the Church has been gradually removed from the state
life. In 1948 the religious education was removed from schools,
the religious services in
hospitals, old people’s homes and army were forbidden, the diocesan periodicals
were abolished, the Faculty of Theology from Suceava was dissolved (the former
one in Cernauti) and so were four theological Academies in Transylvania and
Banat, as well as the theological seminaries of the dioceses in Muntenia and
Moldova, while the catechisation of the youth ceased. Soon after 1944, more
than one thousand Orthodox priests (plus Roman Catholics, Greek Catholics and
Protestants) were arrested, put into prisons, sent to work at the Danube -
Black Sea canal, or deported even to Siberia: some of them died there, while
most of them were released only in 1964. Among those arrested were outstanding
theologians, such as: Nichifor Crainic, Ioan Savin, Dumitru Staniloae, Liviu
G. Munteanu, Ilarion Felea, Ion V. Georgescu (deported to Siberia) and many
others; some Orthodox priests were shot dead. The former metropolitan of Bukovina,
Visarion Puiu was sentenced to death in contumacy (+1964, in France). In 1959
a series of sketes and monasteries were dissolved, hundreds of monks and nuns
were brutally taken out of these monasteries and sent to their families or
in factories by the state authorities. During the last years of the communist
dictatorship, more than 20 places of worship were demolished in Bucharest (the
monasteries of Cotroceni, Vacaresti, Alba-Postavari, Enei, Spirea Noua, Izvor,
Holy Trinity - Dudesti etc.). The licenses necessary for building or restoring
certain churches were granted with great difficulty. Orthodox priesthood, in
its entirety, was permanently watched over and controlled, through the so-called “inspectors
of religious cults” and Security officers, always present in the religious
institutions.
Among the hierarchs in that period, one could mention, first of all, patriarch
Justinian Marina (1948-1977), a good organiser and supervisor of the religious
life in the conditions created after the World War II. He was succeeded by
patriarch Iustin Moisescu (1977-1986), former professor at the Faculties of
Theology in Warsaw, Cernauti and Bucharest, then metropolitan of Transylvania
(1956-1957) and of Moldova (1957-1977). Starting with 1986 until 2007, our
Church has been headed by patriarch Teoctist Arapasu, former assistant bishop,
bishop of Arad, metropolitan of Oltenia, then of Moldova. Beginning with 30
September 2007, the patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church is His Beatitude
Daniel, formerly assistant bishop to the Archdiocese of Timisoara and Metropolitan
of Moldova and Bucovina.
After 1948, most of the 12.000 Orthodox places of worship (churches, monasteries,
sketes and chapels) throughout the country were restored through the donations
of the faithful. Most of the churches and monasteries declared historical monuments
were also restored. At the same time, thousands new churches were built throughout
the Romanian Patriarchate, some of them as real monuments of art.
Relations have been also established with the old Oriental Churches (Patriarchate
of Ethiopia, Armenian Catholicosate in Etchmiadzin, Coptic Patriarchate in
Egypt and the Jacobite Syrian Church in Kerala- India), the Roman Catholic
Church (especially with the Vatican and in Austria, Germany and Belgium), the
Old Catholic Church, with the Anglican Church, as well as with a series of
Protestant Churches.
The Romanian Orthodox Church has been a member of the World Council of Churches
since 1961. It sent delegations to the General Assemblies in New Delhi (1961),
Uppsala (1968), Nairobi (1975), all of them headed by the then metropolitan
of Moldova and Suceava, Iustin Moisescu (former member of the Central Committee
until 1977) and to Vancouver (1983), headed by the Metropolitan of Transylvania
Antonie Plamadeala.

VII. Achievements and Perspectives after 1989

The events in December
brought about a series of changes not only in the political and
social life of the country, but also in the
religious one. Soon after those events, our Church was faced with
new challenges, which she would be obliged to face in the future
too, but for which she was not prepared. For example, as far back
as December 1989, the existence of the Catholic Church of Latin
Rite (former Greek Catholic or United) was recognised; in March
1990, the Vatican appointed six Catholic bishops of “Latin
Rite” and five others of “Greek Rite” or Oriental
(for Blaj, Oradea, Lugoj, Cluj-Napoca and Baia Mare) without the
previous approval of the Romanian state authorities. In 1991, the
metropolitan of Blaj, Alexandru Todea, was raised to the rank of
cardinal by the Pope. These hierarchs, as well as some priests
who had not returned to Orthodoxy in 1948 or those ordained in
the meantime, started an intense proselyte activity, in view of
attracting Orthodox priests and faithful to the Catholic Church
of Greek Rite. In spite of the fact that they have a small number
of faithful (228,377 according to the census of 1992), yet they
reopened Theological Academies in Blaj, Cluj-Napoca, Baia Mare
and Oradea.
During the first months of 1990, the legal existence of several
neo-Protestant cults was recognised (as associations). All these
cults started an intense proselyte activity among the Orthodox
faithful, with the permanent material support from abroad and many
persons engaged in proselyte activity who have come to our country
to preach Christ, as if our people had not known Him for almost
two thousand years. Nevertheless, the census in January 1992, presents
the following confessional configuration of Romania: out of 22.760.449
inhabitants, 86,8% are Orthodox, 5% Roman Catholics, 3,9% Reformed,
1% Catholics of Greek Rite (“United”), 1% Pentecostals,
0,5% Baptists, the rest of the cults being under 0,5% (the atheists
represent only 0,2%).
As for the cultural field, we mention the setting up of new units
of theological education, for the needs of the Church: Faculties
of Theology in Iasi, Cluj-Napoca, etc., new seminaries (besides
the six existent before 1989), in Galati, Ramnicu Valcea, Alba
Iulia, Baia Mare, Suceava, Monastery of Agapia (for girls) etc;
the entire higher theological education was included in the state
university system in the respective cities and re-organised in
several branches: Pastoral Theology, Didactic Theology, Social
Theology; girls are admitted in all theological schools.
A series of new periodic publications appeared in almost every
diocese: Vestitorul Ortodoxiei (Herald of Orthodoxy) in Bucharest,
Candela Moldovei (Votive Light of Moldova) in Iasi, Invierea (Resurrection)
in Timisoara, Renasterea (Renaissance) la Cluj, Tomisul ortodox
(Orthodox Tomis) in Constanta, Credinta strabuna (Ancient Faith)
in Alba Iulia, Credinta romaneasca (Romanian Faith) in Baia Mare,
Legea romaneasca (Romanian Law) in Oradea, Biserica si Scoala (Church
and School) in Arad, Foaie diocezana (Diocesan Paper) in Caransebes,
Calauza ortodoxa (Orthodox Guide) in Galati, Lumina lina (Light)
in Arges, etc.
All the monasteries and sketes abusively dissolved in 1959 were
re-opened or new ones were set up, especially in Transylvania.
At the same time - in spite of the financial difficulties the Church
is faced with - the foundations of hundred of churches were laid,
especially in towns and monasteries (Ramet, Recea, Mures, Sambata
de Sus etc.)
The Church resumed its humanitarian activity from a different perspective,
by setting up charitable associations to help the orphans, old
and handicapped people, or by granting religious assistance in
hospitals, orphanages and old people’s homes.
The Church also maintains its foreign relations, by participating
in the activity developed within the framework of the World Council
of Churches, delegations of our Church participating in the proceedings
of the 7th General Assembly (1991, Canberra, Australia), the 8th
General Assembly (1998, Harare, Zimbabwe) and the 9th General Assembly
(2006, Porto Alegre, Brasil). She participated, through her delegates,
in various meetings of the Conference of European Churches, of
certain Joint Commissions for Dialogue with some other Churches.
Church delegations visited us several times, both from the sister
Orthodox Churches, as well as Roman Catholic, Anglican and Protestant
ones. Romanian synodal delegations, headed by the Head of the Church
or by other hierarchs took turns in visiting other sister Orthodox
Churches and other heterodox Churches. The Faculties of Theology
established “relations of partnership” with Faculties
abroad, especially with the Catholic and Protestant ones.
In spite of the difficulties we are passing through, the hierarchs,
theology professors and priests of the Romanian Orthodox Church
continue their missionary, social and cultural activity in order
to be worthy of their forerunners, whose memory they want to honour
through an even more fruitful activity.